West Sussex darts team chiefs enjoy their moments of fame

Winners Gary Blackwood and Mike Hales

Published:09:00Sunday 05 May 2013

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THE Tuesday Double-in League captains and secretaries knockout and the finals night in the singles, pairs, trebles and team knockouts took place at Newtown Social Club. The night started with the semi-finals of the singles. In division one, Gary Blackwood (Claremont) saw off Chris Gatford (Hunston Club) and Ben Marley (Claremont) lost to Keith Robinson (Chi Snooker A). Blackwood saw Robinson in the final.

In division two, Les Totham (Wheatsheaf) lost to Steve Aizlewood (Newtown SC) and Gary Pay (Chi Snooker C) went straight through to the final as his opponent and team mate Andy Whiteley was ill. Aizlewood took the title. The division-one pairs knockout saw an all Claremont final with Gary Blackwood and Cliff Prior taking on Ben Marley and Lee Franklin. The title went to Marley and Franklin.

The division-two pairs final saw Alex Norgett and Lewis Campling (Newtown SC) take on Gary Pay and Arthur Clark (Chi Snooker C). Pay was looking for at least one title on the night, and took it with the help of Clark. The division-one trebles final saw pairs winners Marley and Franklin team up with singles winner Blackwood to take on Richard Ragless, Sam Abrehart and Dave Coupland (Royal Oak). The Royal Oak trio lost to the Claremont team.

The Newtown guys got a good start, but loose darts let the Raiders triple pull it back to take the title. The Pete May team knockout final saw the Claremont triumph over Newtown SC in a ‘best-of-three-legs’ 1,001 match. In the consolation team final, Chi Snooker A beat Richmond A.

All but one team sent their leaders to take to the oche in the captains and secretaries knockout.

The last four saw Hunston Club facing the Neptune Selsey and the Claremont playing the Richmond Raiders.

In the final, Gary Blackwood and Mike Hales (Claremont) took on Lee Chapman and Phil Hayers (Neptune Selsey).

The captains’ leg saw Chapman score a 180 before being knocked out by Blackwood hitting his double. The secretaries leg saw Hales try too hard, leaving Hayers to take the double and win the leg.

So it was down to a pairs game to finish off the match. Blackwood and Hales pushed into the lead and took the double to become this year’s captains and secretaries title winners.